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Program Overview |
Updated: 2006/12/08 |
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USAID Goal:
The Strengthening of Namibia through the Social, Economic and Political Empowerment of Namibians Historically Disadvantaged by Apartheid.
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The Potential
Namibia has made impressive progress establishing a free, viable nation. Few other countries in Africa invest as much in the education and health of their people; the press is one of the most free; and it has one of the highest "business competitiveness"rankings and one of the lowest levels of corruption.
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Development Challenges
Namibia is working to achieve transformational development, but faces daunting challenges on a scale that leaves it vulnerable. A severe HIV/AIDS epidemic, as evidenced by an overall prevalence rate of 19.7 percent is already having profound impacts on Namibian society. Life expectancy has declined from 61 to 49 years and by 2021 up to a third of Namibia`s population under age 15 could be orphaned.
However, even prior to the impacts of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Namibia lacked the resources and capacity to fully address widespread poverty and extreme social and economic inequality resulting from 100 years of colonialism and apartheid. Half of the country`s population live below the poverty line, survive on ten percent of national income, and is under or unemployed. The UNDP estimates the Gini coefficient measuring income disparity in Namibia as the highest in the world at 70.7 on a scale of 100 with 0 representing perfect equality.
Though Namibia has relatively good infrastructure, developing job opportunities and promoting equitable economic growth is challenging due its extremely arid environment, an under-educated and low-skilled workforce, and an economy that remains heavily reliant on the extraction and export of primary resources with little value added.
Namibia benefits from a democratic government that follows open market policies and has met the Millennium Challenge Corporation`s good governance indicators in the areas of ruling justly, investing in people, and promoting economic freedom.
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Overview of USAID Programs
Building on Namibia`s responsible political leadership, USAID programs provide needed financial support, technical assistance, and capacity building to introduce strategic interventions that benefit groups of disadvantaged individuals in Namibia while piloting development models that can be expanded in the long-term. To help Namibia overcome the challenges it faces, USAID has provided over $161 million between FY 1991 through FY 2005.
Assistance spans the "ABCDE`s"of development:
· AIDS and TB prevention, care, and treatment
· Basic education
· Community-based natural resource management
· Democracy and governance
· Employment creation/Enterprise development
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AIDS and TB prevention, care and treatment
To respond to one of the worst HIV/AIDS epidemics and the highest tuberculosis (TB) case rate in the world, the United States is providing $42.8 million in 2005 through the U.S. President`s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. USAID’s programs focus on providing care and services to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), reducing the spread of HIV through prevention activities, and supporting Namibia’s national TB program. USAID programs provided home-based care to 23,000 people and services to 18,000 OVC. Over 15,000 clients received counseling and testing at 12 centers, and 5 hospitals provided antiretroviral treatment and services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
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Improving Basic Education
A recent regional education report indicated that only a third of Namibia’s sixth grade students had acquired needed reading and math skills. USAID is helping Namibia improve the quality of English, math, and science instruction for students in grades 1-7 by providing 4,000 teachers with training on new teaching methods. School improvement programs piloted by USAID were so successful that the Namibian government decided to expand them nationwide. To address the problems in the education sector caused by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, USAID provided educational support to 5,000 orphans and vulnerable children while training 1,400 principals and education administrators on HIV/AIDS mitigation strategies.
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Protecting the Environment while helping communities
More than 70 percent of Namibians, many living in poverty, reside in rural areas and depend upon natural resources for their livelihoods. USAID helps establish protected areas called conservancies and works with residents to develop business plans that generate income while conserving wildlife and resources. USAID also works at the national level to support the coordination and integration of national policies and laws governing natural resources. The number of conservancies in Namibia has increased from 4 to 31 and has led to the creation of an additional 3,500 full and part-time jobs. Approximately 7.87 million hectares are under conservancy management and wildlife numbers, such as elephant, are increasing. At the same time, financial benefits to participants have increased to approximately $2.25 million.
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Strengthening Democracy
As one of the youngest democracies in Africa, Namibia`s democratic institutions and processes need strengthening. USAID provides training to help Members of Parliament improve their constituency outreach, especially in underserved rural areas, and to more effectively use committees and public hearings. USAID also provides grants and technical assistance to civic groups and community-based media organizations to enable them to advocate around local issues. It is now easier for Namibians to communicate with their elected officials and two-thirds of the bills introduced in Parliament received public comment. Training has helped create more transparent legislation, and vigorous debate has increased in both houses of Parliament.
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